Lamp guard construction



March 14, 1961 J. D. KEVORKIAN 2,975,269

LAMP GUARD CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 4, 1957 3 INVENTOR.

H TTORIUEV rates The present invention relates to a lamp guard of the type including a reflector adopted to be carried by a handle and an open wire cage structure cooperable with the reflector to protectively enclose a lamp supported by the handle.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a lamp guard of the type aforesaid adopted for being opened to afford access to the lamp without detachment of the lamp guard from the lamp supporting handle.

Another principal object of the present invention is to provide such a lamp guard wherein the wire cage structure is pivotally connected to the reflector for swinging movement relative thereto and releasably secured against swinging movement by improved means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, as more fully described hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective View of a lamp guard constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view looking at the side of the lamp guard shown in Figure 1, part being in elevation and part in section.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lamp guard, showing the wire cage structure in open position.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the lamp guard.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Figure4.

Referring to the drawing, the exemplary lamp guard constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention is mounted upon a conventional lamp-supporting handle A, preferably made of rubber. This handle is equipped with the customary electrical connectors and switch (not shown), and the upper end thereof is conventionally adopted for receiving and supporting an appropriate lamp B. The upper portion of the handle also receives and supports the lamp guard C, which latter protectively encloses the lamp B.

The lamp guard C includes a sheet metal reflector that has a longitudinally extending main body portion 11 of substantially semi-cylindrical shape in transverse section. The latter terminates in opposite end portions 12 and 13 that are concave, as shown, to provide maximum light reflecting efficiency. The concave portion 13 of the reflector 10 is axially extended to provide a semi-annular element 14 to which is fixed a collar or band 15 that is provided with portions 16-16 that extend in circum ferential extension of the element aforesaid and terminate respectively in opposed laterally spaced portions 17-17 in the front of the guard. The semi-annular element 14 and the band 15 are fitted into a groove 18 that extends circumferentially about the upper end of the handle A, and for drawing the band 15 tight about the handle A and thereby securing the reflector 10 to the latter, a bolt 19'is projected through the terminal band portions 17-17 and a spacer 20 intervening the same.

The lamp guard C also includes a wire cage structure 21 that is pivotally mounted upon the reflector 10 in the manner best shown in Figure 1, i.e., by bending the ends of an arcuately shaped transversely extending wire member 22 of cage structure 21 to form a pair of oppositely disposed, inwardly projecting extensions 23-23 which are pivotally received on opposite sides of the upper portion of reflector 10.

The wire cage structure 21 includes, in addition to the transversely extending member 22, a second arcuately shaped transversely extending wire member '24, a pair of wire members 25-25 disposed respectively upon opposite sides of the guard and bent to conjointly substantially conform to the outline of the reflector 10 and a wire member 26 disposed centrally of the guard, the latter being curved outwardly from its ends and shaped toprovide a lamp supporting book 27 at its upper end and a finger hold 28 at its lower end. It will be understood, ofcourse, that the wire members 22, 24, 25-25 and 26 are all firmly joined together, as by welding, so that the cage structure 21 forms a unitary structure of substantial strength.

The band portions 16-16 are bent to form a pair of transversely extending rather deep grooves 29-29 and a .pair of shoulders 30 and 31 disposed respectively upon opposite sides of each groove 29. The wire members 2525 are curved inwardly and downwardly from the wire member 24, as at 32-32, whereby to snugly nest axial extensions 33-33 thereof respectively in the grooves 29-29. The latter are oriented so that their median longitudinally extending planes intersect upon the F central axis of the guard, in consequence of which the distance between the shoulders 30-30 respectively of the grooves 29-29, measured across the front of the lamp guard, is greater than the clear distance between the lower terminal portions 33-33 of the wire members 25-25, as best shown in Figure 5.

When the guard C is in use, the wire cage structure 21 is secured against swinging open by the lower terminal portions 33-33 of the wire members 25-25 cooperatmg respectively with groove side walls, designated34-34, that are disposed respectively in inwardly converging planes.

When it is desired to open the guard C, the operator may hold the handle A with one hand and, with a .finger of the other hand hooked in the finger hold 28, pull on the Wire cage structure 21. It will be apparent that initially the lower terminal portions 33-33 of the wire members 25-25 are sprung apart by the groove side walls 34-34 acting as cams. The portions 33-33 finally pass over tthe groove shoulders 30-30, whereupon they are released and spring back to their normal spacing relative to one another. As the operator continues to pull, the wire cage structure 21 pivots about the elements 23-23 and eventually assumes the open position of Figure 3.

When it is desired to close the guard C, the wire cage structure 21 is swung back till the portions 33-33 respectively abut the shoulders 30-30. Then closing pressure is applied, whereupon the portions 33-33 are sprung apart by the rounded shoulders 30-30 acting as cams. When the portions 33-33 have passed over the shoulders 30-30, they spring or snap back to their normal spacing relative to one another, while they are simultaneously forced respectively to the bottoms of the grooves 2525 by the camming action of the relatively sloping side walls 34-34 of the grooves. It will be observed that the guard C may be opened and reclosed without demounting the same from the handle A, and with a minimum expenditure of time and effort. 1

In the construction as shown in the drawings, the collar or band 15 is secured, as by welding, to the semi-annular bottom extension 14 of the reflector part 10, thus permitting the latter part to be drawn and formed out of a simple blank of sheet metal having in itself no extensions such as are necessary to provide the opposed extended portions 16-16 of the collar or band. It will be appreciated, however, that the collar or band 15 with its extensions 16-46 may be formed integrally with the reflector part 10, as by simply providing the bottom extension 14 of the reflector part with opposed extensions which may be formed similarly to the extensions 1616 as shown to provide the same with the requisite grooves 29--29 for receiving the terminal portions 33-33 of the wire members 2525 and with the bolt-receiving ears 17--17 for clamping the collar firmly about the handle A of the lamp socket as shown. Thus the members 16-16, whether formed as integral extensions of the bottom neck portion 14 of the reflector 10 or as extensions of a collar or band welded or otherwise secured to said neck portion, are operative as described to securely clamp the guard upon the socket while at the same time permitting the wire cage structure to be swung into open position relatively to the reflector part 10, all without necessitating unclamping of the guard from the socket handle.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various other changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the real spirit or general principles thereof, and accordingly it is intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A lamp guard comprising complementary reflector and cage members each forming approximately one longitudinal half of the guard, said reflector and cage members being interconnected for swinging movement of said cage member upwardly in front of said reflector to an outof-the-way position, the reflector including a collar arranged at the base thereof for being clamped to a lamp holder and having a pair of outwardly extending opposite side shoulders, the cage including a pair of wires respectively provided with opposite side lower terminal portions, each of the latter being operatively disposed behind the associated one of said shoulders, and being thereby held against said collar, whereby to releasably secure said cage member against swinging upwardly in the manner aforesaid. v

2. A lamp guard comprising complementary reflector and cage members each forming approximately one longitudinal half of the guard, said reflector and cage members being interconnected for swinging movement of said cage member upwardly in front of said reflector to an out-of-the-way position, the reflector including a collar arranged at the base thereof for being clamped to a lamp holder and having a pair of grooves extending transversely'of and opening outwardly from said collar, and a pair of shoulders respectively associated with and extending along the proximate side walls of said grooves,

the cage including a pair of wires respectively provided with opposite side lower terminal portions respectively snugly nested within said grooves, each of said terminal wire portions being operatively disposed behind the associated arm of said shoulders, and being thereby held in the groove, whereby to releasably secure said cage member against swinging upwardly in the manner aforesaid.

3. A lamp guard as defined in claim 2 wherein the proximate side walls of said grooves converge inwardly from said shoulders, whereby when the cage is swung from closed to open positions the terminal wire portions are cammed apart by said side walls, and whereby when said cage is reclosed said wire portions are cammed to the bottoms of said grooves.

4. A lamp guard as defined in claim 2 wherein the shoulders extending along the proximate side walls of the grooves are rounded, whereby when the cage is swung from open to closed position the terminal wire portions are cammed apart by said rounded shoulders.

5. A lamp guard comprising complementary reflector and cage members each forming approximately one longitudinal half of the guard, said reflector and cage members being interconnected for swinging movement of said cage member upwardly in front of said reflector to an out-of-the-way position, the reflector including a onepiece split collar arranged at the base thereof for being clamped to a lamp holder and having a pair' of grooves extending transversely of and opening outwardly from said collar, and a pair of shoulders respectively associ ated with and extending along the proximate side walls of said grooves, the cage including a pair of wires respectively provided with opposite side lower terminal portions respectively snugly nested within said grooves and free to be sprung apart, the clear distance between said terminal wire portions being somewhat less than the overall distance between said shoulders, whereby said terminal wire portions are releasably held in said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Penna Nov. 5, 1957 

